Automatic signal for street-railways



(No Model.)

J. GJHARTMAN {iv-E. BAKER.

AUTOMATIC SIGNAL FOR STREET RAILWAYS.

No. 499,164. Patented June 6, 1893.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JACOB e. HARTMAN AND ELIJAH BAKER, 0E BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

AUTOMATIC SIGNAL FOR STREET-RAILWAYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 499,164, dated June 6, 1893.

Application filed June 30, 1892. Serial No. 438,532. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, JAooB G. HARTMAN and ELIJAH BAKER, citizens of the United States, residing at Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Signals for Cable Railways; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

Our invention relates to improvements in automatic signals more particularly designed for use on cable railways, that is, railways which employ a sub-way or conduit for a traveling cable adapted for traction and haulage purposes; and the object in view is to provide simple and effective means whereby notice'or warning may be given to the traveling public of the approach or passage of a railway car.

With these and other ends inview, we employ a transverse sub-way extending at right angles to the longitudinal cable-conduit. and which terminates at or near opposite corners of the street crossing, two oppositely-placed tappet arms located in the cable-conduit and arranged in the path of a cable grip to be alternately operated thereby as the grip and car approach and pass the crossing, a power drum between the tappet-arms, a cable connecting the power drum and the tappet arms .in the transverse sub-Way, signal vanes (one or more) mounted on upright posts at the corners of the strcetcrossing, and a cable or connection between the power drum and each signal vane, whereby the latter is set to danger position as the car approaches the crossing and operates one of the tappet arms, and is returned to safety position after the car passes the crossing and operates the other tappet arm of the pair.

The invention further consists in the peculiar construction, arrangement and adaptation of parts as will be hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

The accompanying drawings fully illustrate the embodiment of our signal mechanism for a cable railway, and in which Figure 1 is a view showing the signal mechanism in side elevation and the cable-conduit in transverse section. Fig. 2 is a view illustrating the cable conduit in longitudinal section and the signal post in vertical section, with the signal vane and its operating mechanism in elevation. Fig. 3 is a detail View, showing the tappet arms and their pulleys, the power drum, and the guide sheaves in plan view, and the boxes or casings for the parts in transverse section. Fig.4 is a detail view of the tension device.

Like letters of reference denote corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

A designates the track, B a car, 0 the grip thereof, and D is the traveling cable which passes longitudinally through the conduit or sub-way E and is sustained as usual by the rollers e in said conduit. All of these parts are of the ordinary or any preferred construction, and we do not limit ourselves to any particular form of the parts as they may be changed and varied at pleasure.

In adapting our signal mechanism to a cable railway having a longitudinal conduit, we provide at each street crossing a transverse sub-way F which is formed or constructed in any suitable or desirable way and which intersects or communicates with the longitudinal cable conduit; and in this transverse subway are arranged the transmitting devices of our signal-mechanism. I

G, H, are the tappet arms which are supported or carried by drums or pulleys g, h, in the longitudinal cable-conduit E of the railway, and these tappet arms are arranged so that one stands directly in the path of the grip on an approaching car'while the other stands at an angle to the path of said grip so that it is turned into operative position by the first named tappet and which is adapted, when struck by the grip after the car passes the crossing, to return the parts to their normal positions. The drums or pulleys g, h, of the tappet arms are arranged in vertical positions, and provided with suitable shafts or trunnions by which they are supported in place.

I is the power drum located in the longitudinal cable-conduit and arranged in line with the pulleys or drums of the tappet-arms, and all of said drums g, h, and I are at one side of the cable D so that they are out of the way of the same and the grip on the car. The

power drum,and the pulleys or drums of the tappet arms, are connected for simultaneous operation by means of a cable J as shown more clearly in Fig. 3 which is wound once or more around the power drum I and connected to the pulleys or drums of the tappet arms. This cableJ may be in one piece, with its ends fastened or secured to the pulleys or drums of the tappet arms as shown in Fig. 3 i

of the drawings; or said cable may be made endless or continuous and be suitably fitted around the drums or pulleys, g, h, I, as will be readily understood by those skilled in the art. The connection of the cable to the tappet drums and the power drum operates to turn the power drum in one direction when the grip strikes the tappet G as the car approaches the crossing and thus also sets the other tappet H in the path of the grip; and after the car passes the crossing, the grip strikes the tappet II which serves to turn the drum I in the reverse direction and returns the tappet G to its normal position so that the next car will operate toset the signal vane to danger position. I the power is taken by the transmitting devices inthe transverse sub-way F and communicated to the signal vanes K, L, which are mounted on the posts M erected at the corners of the street crossing. \Ve may employ one, two or more signal vanes located on as many corners of the street crossing, and we prefer to place the signal vanes on the lampposts usually erected at such corners, although it is obvious that special posts may be provided to support the signal vanes. The postsM are hollow as shown in Fig. 2, and the signal vanes thereon when lowered to safety position are housed or inclosed within suitable recesses or slots formed in the posts, as is obvious. Each signal vaneis securedto orcarried by a vertically placed drum or pulley 7a, which is secured on a horizontal shaft it having bearin gs in the post; and around this pulley passes a cable 0 which extends to the drum land is operated thereby. In orderto properly guide the: cable 0 at the base of the post M, we provide two guide sheaves P, Q, whichare loosely mounted on a common shaft R supported by suitable bearings below the bottom of the post, said shaft and guide sheaves being in the transverse sub-way F with the cable 0 between the power drum and the signal vane. The transmitting cable 0 is preferably of the endless variety, and it passes from the power drum 1, beneath the guide sheave P, thence up to and overthe pulley 7c on the signal vane, thence down and under the other guide sheave Q, and finally to and around the power drum I, as is obvious.

In the embodiment of our invention shown by Fig. 3 of the drawings we have only deemed it necessary to illustrate one transmitting cable 0 and the guide sheaves therefor to one of the signal vanes; but it will be understood that we have one cable and the pair of guide From this power drum sheaves to each of the signal vanes as shown by Fig. 1 of the drawings.

It will be understood that we do not limit ourselves to the use of any particular number of signal vanes and transmitting cables 0 between such vanes and the power drum I, as we may employ one, two or more signal vanes and cables 0 therefor.

In Fig. 2 of the drawings, we have shown, as one embodiment of our invention, the two signal vanes K, L, each pivoted to a post M, and the transmitting cables 0 between such signal vanes and the power drum I; and in order to simultaneously raise both signal vanes to danger position when the tappet G is operated, and to lower both signal vanes to safety position when the tappet H is .moved, the approximate ends of the transmitting cables 0, 0, should be coiled in the same ;direction around the drum I, so that as the idrum is turned in one direction or the other ;both of the cables 0, O,will be drawn or jpulled upon to move the signal vanes simultaneously.

The operation of our invention is as followsz-The tappet arm G extends across the line of travel of the cable grip while theother tappet arm II stands at an angle to the path 1 of the grip. ing, the grip strikes the tappet arm G which 5 turns its drum, moves the cable and operates As the car approaches the crossthe power drum I and the tappet arm H, the latter being turned into the path of the cable grip. As the power drum is turned, the endless cable or cables Oare operated to set the signal vane or vanes to danger pos1t1on,

and after the car passes the crossing, the grip strikes the tappet II to return the tappet G and the signal vane to their normal positions, the vane being lowered to safety position. The drums g, h, of the tappet arms, the power drum I and the pulleys or guide sheaves P, Q, are each arranged in a suitable casing in dicated in cross section by Fig. 3, and to each casing is provided a man hole and cover whereby access may be had to the cables J, O, for adjusting the same if necessary. To regulate the tension. of the cables J, O, we provide each cable with a tension device shown by Fig. 4., which device consists of two extensible members 8,5, each having at one end an eye for the passage of the cable and with right and left hand screw threaded shanks designed to receive an adjustable coupling sleeve S which is screwed on the shanks and can be turned to extend or contract the members S, S. At thetop of each signal we provide an audible signal T adapted to operate in connection with the rising and falling motion of the signal vane, but such signal T forms the subject of a separate application, Serial No. 438,534, filed by us on the same day as the present case.

We are aware that changes in the form and proportion of parts and details of construction of the devices herein shown and described Letters Patent, is-

1. In a signal for cable railways, the combination with a cable conduit, and a transverse sub-way, of the spaced tappet drums situated in said cable conduit and each havmg an arm, one of said arms being normally in the path of a cable-grip, the power drum also situated in said cable conduit and between the spaced tappet-drums, the cable connecting the tappet and power drums for simultaneous operation, a signal vane, and the transmitting cable extending through said sub-way and connecting the power drum and the signal vane, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. In a signal for cable railways, the combination with a longitudinal cable conduit, of a transverse sub-way connected therewith, the power drum in said cable conduit, the tappet drums located in said cable-conduit, on opposite sides of the power drum, and each having an arm, one of which is normally in the path of the cable-grip, a connecting cable between the power drum and the tappetdrums, the signal vanes, and the transmitting cable extending through the sub-way and connecting the power drum and the signal Vane, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. In a signal'for cable railways, the combination with a longitudinal cable conduit, of the transverse sub-way connected thereto, the posts, the signal vanes mounted on the posts and each having a pulley, the tappet drums in the cable conduit and each having the tappet arms, the power drum connected by the cable J to the tappet-drums, the guide sheaves or pulleys at the ends of the sub-way and beneath the posts, and the transmitting cables passing beneath the guide sheaves and around the power drum and the pulleys of the signal vanes, substantially as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

J AOOB G. HARTMAN. ELIJAH BAKER.

Witnesses:

HENRY E. COOPER, H. I. BERNHARD. 

